Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Brain beasts is very informative on the topics of depression, anxiety and suicide. I love how indepth it goes about therapy and where to look for specific kinds. The music choices listed were great, I took notes on those. I took a star away because I ended up skimming some of the pages as it was very drawn out. It felt like every internet article on the topic mashed together into a book.

It's a great resource for someone just learning about mental health or not knowing where to go from thinking they might have an issue. But it doesn't give too much extra help if someone comes across this book after already knowing they have one of these mental health concerns. I was really looking forward to using this book in my teen groups, but I dont think it will help them anymore than what they already know. I am definitely going to recommend it to them and their families because I think it's a great resource for the parent to understand where the child is coming from.

The Beasts in your Brain is a solid introductory book to mental health information for young adults. As a high school teacher, I am a witness of the mental health issues students are facing (and I’m only going into my 3rd year of teaching). I would say this would be a nice resource for them to read. The author makes the books more accessible by creating a tone that sounds like your friend is speaking to you. One example of this is through the song playlists that the author recommends.

I would categorize this in the same group as American Girl Guide self help books. There are parts where I feel the opinion of the author begins to drag a little and could be shortened. I think it would have also been nice to see more activities they could put into practice.

I would recommend this to students or parents if their child is struggling and they have little knowledge on mental health resources out there. I will ask our librarian to buy a copy as well so that we can have to available for students.

This would be a great addition to a middle/high school library or counseling office, and would be a great title for households with mental health struggles. The book’s “voice” is a great fit for teen (or upper tween) readers, and explains mental health science in a way that is honest and informative without being cutesy. The playlists are cringeworthy, but otherwise the book is a great fit.

I’d give this book 5 stars. Written from the perspective of someone dealing with mental health issues, it is informative, doesn’t talk down to people, and is written at a level middle schoolers can understand. Each chapter starts with a playlist of songs for different situations which kids will find relatable. It explains the science behind anxiety and depression, describes signs and symptoms, different ways of getting help, what worked for the author, etc. The format is easy to follow. It offers many solutions for getting help. It’s a little over 100 pages and well worth it. It releases in September.

Will definitely be useful for a younger crowd, many things were things I was aware of already but I am definitely not the intended audience for the book but it will definitely have a use to many people out there.